The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 43
YOUNG ODs
we got in, things immediately
kicked into gear, prompting us
to move to San Francisco to start
building properly.
At the moment, I feel extremely
excited – but also pretty terrified.
I strongly believe in our potential
to succeed, but the startup has
been difficult because we’re
tackling an unsolved scientific
and engineering problem that’s
technologically challenging. The
difficulty and the possibility of
failure are stressful, but that’s
also part of the fun, and part
of why it feels meaningful.
The main reason I’ve been
able to stay patient is because
I genuinely enjoy the work and
find it fun. The area we’re working
in is something I personally find
interesting and stimulating, and
I work with awesome people who
I constantly learn from. Because
of that, I can spend a lot of time
focused without running out
of gees. My housemates in San
Francisco are also working on
startups, so they understand
the struggle; that helps a lot.
A big shoutout goes to my
parents. Throughout my life,
they encouraged me to spend
time on what interests me and
not be scared of failure. My mom’s
motto is work hard, play hard, and
she genuinely lives it. I’ll see her
marking late at night, then wake
up early to go play golf, come
home, do flower experiments
on the kitchen table, and brew
beer for Christmas. My dad has
a similar vibe. His line is, don’t
give up till you’ve drunk from
the silver cup. That mindset
has definitely stuck with me.
Another shoutout goes to
Bishops. I made lifelong friends
there who motivate me to make
the most of life, and I learnt things
beyond the classroom, like playing
sport – something I still do with
my friends and family. Not only
is it healthy, fun and something
I’ll keep doing forever, but it also
taught me teamwork, how to stay
calm under pressure, and how to
lose – all skills that translate well
into startup life.
I definitely wouldn’t say I’ve
succeeded… yet. I’m in the presuccess stage. I work very hard,
but I make sure I still do non-work
things. Surfing is a big one for me,
and coming back to South Africa
for Christmas helps reset things.
Without that balance, it would
be very difficult to sustain. When
I get stressed, I either phone my
parents, sisters and friends, or
I surf. It immediately makes me
feel excited about life again.
Laurence’s advice to young ODs
I’m not the biggest advice person,
but one thing I believe is that
building things for fun matters.
You learn a lot by playing with
something and exploring it
without pressure, and that gives
you a much deeper understanding
of it than just studying it formally.
Also, don’t be scared to dive into
an area you know nothing about.
And make sure you’re learning,
whatever environment you’re in.
NIKHAL NARISMULU
Founder and CEO, age 29
Nikhal Narismulu (2014B) leads
two businesses operating across
southern Africa and beyond. As
founder of Arc Technology and
Atlas Procurement, he has spent
the past year stepping into greater
responsibility as both companies
continue to grow. What began as
hands-on execution has evolved
into a more deliberate focus on
structure, scale and long-term
thinking. Operating in South Africa
and expanding into the UAE, Nikhal
is focused on building trusted
procurement partnerships that
combine discipline, systems and
regional expertise – understanding
that leadership is less about reacting
quickly and more about building
something that endures.
O
ver the past year, the
biggest shift for me has
been moving from being
very execution-focused to thinking
more deliberately about systems,
scale and long-term structure.
Previously, I was asking how to
deliver and solve the next problem.
Now I’m asking how I can design
something that works repeatedly
“Relationships
matter more,
not less, as
things go well.”
– Nikhal Narismulu
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 39
